The present invention relates to poultry watering devices, and particularly to the type including a cup attachable to poultry cages and including a valve assembly operable to continuously replenish the cup with water as the poultry drink from the cup.
Various types of such poultry watering devices are known. In one type, the cup includes a float-operated valve for continuously replenishing the cup with water. Another type includes a valve operator which is contacted by the poultry when drinking from the cup for opening the valve to replenish the cup with water. The invention is particularly useful with respect to the latter type of device, and it is therefore described below with respect to this application but it will be appreciated that the invention could be advantageously used in other applications as well.
The poultry-actuated type of watering devices includes an open-top cup receiving water from the supply line, a valve assembly having a valve operator disposed within the cup and controlling a valve member for periodically admitting water into the cup from the water supply line, and mounting means for mounting the device to a support with the cup positioned to permit the poultry to drink water from the cup through the open top thereof, the valve operator being contacted by the poultry while drinking from the cup and thereby periodically admitting water into the cup.
An object of the present invention is to provide a number of improvements in such poultry watering devices, as will be described more particularly below.